3-Day Bangkok Trip Diary: Day 2 Part 1
I welcomed the morning of the second day of my Bangkok trip.
To be honest, I had been fighting off sleepiness since partway through the first day, so I made sure to get plenty of sleep before starting my activities.
Since my wife is working today, I will be sightseeing alone.
I had decided on my starting and ending points, but my route in between was unplanned as of the morning.
I decided to just head out and let my curiosity guide me, enjoying myself as long as my stamina held up.
In the end, I think it turned into a unique and wonderful journey.
Wat Pho and Wat Arun on the opposite bank
Today's sightseeing starts at a temple called Wat Pho.
I had heard that this is a classic Bangkok tourist spot and a place many people visit.
Since it was morning, there were still few people, but as expected, there were many tour groups. Most were from China and South Korea, and I only met individual travelers from Japan.
As someone who loves traveling abroad, I always wish I could see more fellow travelers at my destinations.
I headed into the temple grounds toward the Reclining Buddha, the number one spot to visit at Wat Pho.
I entered the worship hall, timing it so that the wave of group tourists had passed.
It was truly impressive.
The entrance is at the head of the Reclining Buddha, and the path turns around at the feet, leading to the exit after circling the back.
I walked quietly through the hall, gazing at the Buddha lying on its left side.
There are several spots set up for taking photos, and it's interesting how the expression changes depending on the angle. The mother-of-pearl inlay on the soles of the feet was also magnificent.
When I went around to the back, bowls were lined up along the wall.
If you pay, you receive a small plate filled with many small coins, and you drop the coins into the bowls one by one. There are 108 bowls, and the coins are symbols of worldly desires.
According to information I had beforehand, if you drop too many at the beginning, you will run out of coins before reaching the last bowl.
The crowd had settled down, so I dropped the coins while carefully controlling the number.
However, perhaps it was after I passed the halfway point. The sound of coins being dropped into bowls from behind started to close in.
Clink, clink, clink.
It was incredible speed. They were clearly closing the gap.
My mind became disturbed, and the number of coins I dropped became uneven.
And then, they finally caught up to me from behind.
I threw the coins into the bowls while feeling flustered. The calm feeling I had when I started was completely lost.
As a result, I couldn't put them into all 108 bowls, and I ran out of coins around the 90th one. I am still far from keeping my heart calm.
I pulled myself together and walked around Wat Pho.
While walking, I discovered a cat sitting in front of a Buddha statue. It must be a cat of high virtue.
After that, I encountered cats several times within the temple.
I saw one being given water by a staff member, and for a while, the surrounding tourists and I watched it adorably. I realized that the healing effect of cats is universal.
Just as I was thinking about heading to my next destination, I was approached by a Western couple.
They asked me to take a commemorative photo, so I accepted their smartphone and helped them.
As they left, they said, "Have a nice day!" and I hurriedly replied with the same.
It's a phrase everyone learns in English class. I suddenly wondered what the appropriate phrase would be for this situation in Japan.
To someone you met by chance and will likely never interact with again, you tell them to have a good day.
Perhaps there isn't that much deep meaning behind it. But as a parting phrase, I thought again that it was a good one.
I left Wat Pho, which was a very satisfying sight, and walked a little toward the riverside.
Since more time had passed than I expected, I decided to just view Wat Arun, famous as one of the three great temples, from the opposite bank.
I followed the photo spot indicated by Google Maps and took pictures. It was a hidden gem with only a few people coming by.
Farm to table
I had been walking through Bangkok under the scorching sun since the morning, so I went into a cafe to rehydrate.
This place is about a 10-minute walk from Wat Pho. I heard the Thai tea and homemade ice cream are delicious.
I had no plans to visit here at all, but I checked for nearby cafe information on Google Maps, and since it looked good, I decided to stop by. Having an e-SIM that works everywhere is a huge advantage.
"Hello, what would you like?"
"Thai tea, and... do you have ice cream?"
"Yes, the flavors are posted over there."
I think there were about 10 types lined up in front of the counter. I took a quick look and chose something unique to Thailand.
"Then, I'll have the Jasmine rice leaf, please."
"OK, how would you like the sweetness of the Thai tea? Regular, less sweet, or no sugar?"
"Less sweet, please."
This is because I had heard as a tip for traveling in Thailand that ordering drinks "less sweet" makes them just the right amount of sweetness.
The Thai tea was exquisite, with a deep aroma and flavor from the tea leaves.
I had assumed the ice cream would have the scent of jasmine tea based on the 'jasmine' part of the name, but it didn't taste like that at all.
Come to think of it, it was made from jasmine rice leaves, so it was a completely different thing. It had a gentle, slightly sweet flavor, which was nice, but I was a little disappointed that it wasn't more distinct.
The atmosphere of the shop was also very nice, so I would recommend it if you are sightseeing at Wat Pho.
Bangkok Cafe Hopping
In the meantime, lunchtime was approaching.
However, I was running low on funds, so I looked for a nearby currency exchange to get some Baht.
Since I had already used up all my small bills in yesterday's exchange, I had to change a 10,000 yen note. Even though I was flying home tomorrow afternoon, my wallet suddenly became thick with cash.
Since I was at it, I decided to go to a slightly nicer restaurant from the lunch candidates I had researched beforehand.
The restaurant I was aiming for is in Bangkok's Chinatown, the Yaowarat district. It was probably about a 20-minute walk.
There was a spot called Sampeng Market on the way, so I decided to walk through it.
This was probably the place where I experienced the most local atmosphere on this trip.
Narrow streets stretched on and on, with shops lined up on both sides. People were milling about, motorbikes were weaving through, and people were pulling carts.
Goods were packed into every available space, and it seemed like there might be some hidden gems if you looked hard enough. However, the environment was so chaotic that I veered off into a side street and left the market halfway through.
I slipped into a nearby cafe I happened to find to rest my body, which was flushed from the heat.
SCR - Song Wat Coffee Roasters
Just a few minutes' walk from the hustle and bustle of the market, a sophisticated air drifted there.
It is said to be famous as a cafe where baristas serve carefully selected coffee.
When I looked it up on the way, I found that a menu item called 'Dirty'—which is made by mixing strong coffee with milk and serving it in a semi-frozen state—was popular. (I assume it's something like a Frappuccino.)
As I had planned, I told the clerk at the counter, 'One Dirty, please.'
I received an electronic buzzer and secured a seat in the crowded shop. The seats were almost full, and it was a bustling place with takeout customers coming in as well.
I finally returned to the counter with the electronic buzzer that had just gone off.
'Here you go, a latte.'
The drink handed to me was, of course, not frozen. Just as the clerk said, it was unmistakably an iced latte.
It seems that my saying 'Dirty' was misunderstood as 'Latte'.
I neglected the basic rule of ordering abroad: pointing and confirming. I felt ashamed of myself for getting carried away by the fact that English was understood throughout my journey since yesterday.
When I returned to my seat, the group next to me was drinking a 'Dirty' while excitedly talking about how it was famous at this shop. I couldn't help but glance over at it.
Of course, there was absolutely nothing wrong with the iced latte. Even though it was mixed with milk, the aroma of the coffee hit my nose the moment I drank it; it was a very delicious latte.
However, this failure with the 'Dirty' here would lead to an unexpected development a few hours later.
NAAM 1608
After repeated detours, I finally had lunch.
This is a stylish cafe-restaurant built along the river with high ratings.
I hesitated a bit, wondering if I could get in without a reservation, but I went in anyway.
'Excuse me, I'm by myself.'
'One person, I see. Please wait a moment... You'll be at a large table, and if more people come, you might have to share it. Is that okay?'
'That's fine. Thank you.'
Here, they serve not only a full range of Thai dishes but also Italian food, so the menu was quite extensive. Of course, I chose from the Thai dishes this time.
I looked over the entire menu and decided on Massaman curry and lemongrass longan tea.
The clerk who brought my drink first told me that if I liked, I could move to a counter seat that had just opened up.
I thanked them and moved, waiting for my Massaman curry while sipping my drink.
Then, they kindly offered to move me to a riverside seat that had opened up, though it was only until 1:00 PM when a reservation was scheduled.
One thing led to another, and I ended up with a prime seat overlooking the Chao Phraya River.
Soon after, the Massaman curry arrived.
It was voluminous, with chunks of bone-in chicken, potatoes, and sweet potatoes. It was spicy, but the flavor was strong and well-balanced.
I quenched my thirst in between bites with the refreshing aroma and sweetness of the lemongrass longan tea.
It was an elegant lunch on a Bangkok afternoon.
With my stomach full, I decided to wander around the neighborhood.
This area is called Talat Noi, a district filled with many cafes.
I was drawn to the unique sight of stylish cafes and photo spots appearing abruptly amidst buildings that looked like small, old-fashioned town factories.
As I walked through the narrow, winding alleys, a group of Western tourists on a tour cycled past me. I've always admired the idea of cycling while traveling abroad, but I've never done it myself. I'd like to try it someday.
TIMO & TINTIN
While taking photos of the streets and continuing my walk, a couple walking in front of me was drawn into a certain shop.
Comical characters were drawn on the shop's window. At first glance, I fell in love with it. Since it said "Bangkok," it seemed like a good place for souvenirs.
When I went inside, the fragrant aroma of coffee tickled my nose. After looking it up later, I found out it was an art cafe.
They were also selling original merchandise inside. I had been drawn to the characters on the window, so I decided to buy some as souvenirs. Since I was there, I decided to have some coffee as well.
I checked the menu, and my eyes stopped on the words "Dirty dirty." It was likely the same type of "Dirty" coffee I had missed out on earlier. Plus, it was labeled as "Limited."
"Um, one Dirty dirty, please."
Reflecting on my previous mistake, I didn't forget to point at the menu this time. I made my intentions clear.
"Also, please give me that small cloth tote bag."
"That one. For those who buy a tote bag, we give five stickers as a bonus, so please choose the ones you like."
"Five of them!? Thank you so much!"
I carefully examined the dozens of stickers available. I had been debating whether to buy these stickers anyway, so I was thrilled to be able to get them as a bonus and made my selections.
The interior was vertically spacious, spanning five floors, with chairs and sofas of different styles placed on each level.
Illustrations of the main characters, TIMO and TINTIN (I'm not sure which is which), and various art posters were decorated here and there. With only about one group per space, the interior was very relaxing.
The electronic buzzer I was holding went off, and I headed to the first floor to pick up my order.
This is the Dirty dirty. With my heart racing in anticipation, I picked up the cup.
I took a sip and was surprised.
Was it espresso? The bitterness and acidity of the coffee were tightly condensed. And the milk, its partner, was likely rich as well. It was a combination of rich and rich.
I understood why they had given me water as well. This is a drink to be sipped slowly and enjoyed at a leisurely pace.
If it weren't for my experience at the previous cafe, I wouldn't have even known about the type of coffee called "Dirty," nor would I have encountered this flavor.
Everything was unplanned, but by taking detours, I had a great experience.
Mother Roaster
I've been writing about the places I've visited here and there, but actually, there was a cafe I had been aiming for from the beginning.
I finally arrived at this shop.
It is definitely more well-known than the cafes I had visited so far. I felt a bit relieved to see several groups of Japanese people there.
I decided to order a highly original coffee drink here.
I chose something called "Deep Passion." This is because, just like the beer from yesterday, I love passion fruit. It's amazing that even the seeds are delicious, despite being a product of nature.
I had already tried many coffees by this point, but they show different expressions depending on what they are paired with.
As you can tell from the color, the proportion of coffee wasn't that high. It might have been a light roast to match the acidic passion fruit.
It's a cup that you can drink cleanly without any lingering aftertaste, even in the hot weather of Bangkok.
At this point, the consequences of my detours started to catch up with me. I began to feel anxious as the time left to complete my planned itinerary was running short.
I finished it off quickly and headed to my next destination.
